Navigating Campervan Insurance: A Comprehensive Guide Based on Personal Experience

Getting ready to embrace van life is filled with excitement and the promise of freedom. But before you embark on your open-road journey, there's a crucial detail to address: campervan insurance. Protecting your investment and ensuring peace of mind are essential for a smooth and worry-free adventure.

Having navigated the complexities of insuring our own Mercedes Metris Weekender campervan, I'm here to guide you through the whirlwind of policy options. Buckle up, and let's dive into the lessons we've learned, helping make your insurance journey easier!

Our Campervan: A Mercedes Metris Weekender, A Van with a Twist

In 2021, we kicked off our conversion adventure with a Mercedes Metris Weekender campervan from Peace Vans in Seattle. This model strikes a perfect balance between a daily driver and a weekend escape rig. Here's what makes it so special:

• Versatile Interior: A full-width bench seat comfortably accommodates three adults, with entry/exit through both sliding doors. The seat easily folds into a bed, sleeping four comfortably.
• Adaptable Layout: The rear seat slides into three positions, providing flexible cargo space. There's even a convenient table that pivots in and out for dining on the go.
• Spacious Feel: Dual sliding doors create an open-air living room feel, and with swivel front seats, the interior space is truly unique.

The Dream Conversion and Our $47,000 Investment

Our stock Metris was just the beginning. We teamed up with Peace Vans for a $47,000 transformation, which included:

• Pop Top ($10,595): Expanding our living space effortlessly, creating extra head room and providing a bed that sleeps two adults.
• New Floor, Rail System, Seat, Drawer, Table ($9,718): Ultimate comfort and flexibility, increasing storage space and usability.
• Other Enhancements (Curtain Rails, Color Matching Top, etc.): Thoughtful touches for the perfect adventure rig, these additions addressed aesthetics and function.
• Essential Systems (Solar Hook-Up, Auxillary Battery, Heater): Enabling comfortable off-grid living.
• Finishing Touches (Suspension Lift, Windows, Awning): Meaningful add-ons that completed our conversion, making this a family-friendly van that can handle rugged adventures.

The Insurance Awakening

We initially added our Metris to our existing Farmers Insurance policy for a reasonable annual premium, assuming everything was covered. However, in fall 2023, we were abruptly confronted with the reality that Farmers was withdrawing from the California insurance market. Suddenly, we found ourselves scrambling. Worse, we realized our initial policy hadn't protected our expensive conversion investment at all.

The Difference: Auto Insurance vs. RV Insurance

This rude awakening highlighted the crucial distinction between standard auto insurance and RV insurance:

• Auto Insurance: Designed primarily to cover the vehicle itself – its body, mechanical components, and, in case of an accident, liability for damage to others' property or injuries.
• RV Insurance: Offers a broader range of protection. Besides covering the vehicle like standard insurance, it often includes:
• Coverage for Conversion Upgrades: Protects your investments in the interior build-out (beds, cabinetry, etc.)
• Personal Effects Coverage: Insures belongings inside the campervan against theft or damage.
• Higher Liability Limits: RVs, due to their size and potential for greater damage, often require more liability coverage than passenger cars.

The Search for RV Insurance

Once we realized that auto insurance would be insufficient, as it wouldn’t cover any of our conversion upgrades, we started shopping for RV insurance.

Progressive: A Glimmer of Hope...and Disappointment

Our first stop was Progressive, a well-known RV insurer (if you have USAA, they contract with Progressive for their RV policies). The problem with getting an RV policy? Progressive’s definition of an "RV" was strict:

• Permanently installed cooking and heating appliances
• Drinkable water supply with sink and faucet
• 110-125 Volt electrical system

While we had a heater and some less-permanent camping fixtures, we didn't quite fit their RV criteria. This highlights how insurance definitions can vary wildly between companies and don't always account for the realities of van life.

After providing photos of our refrigerator, portable toilet, and beds, amazingly, Progressive granted us a policy - only to later have underwriters backtrack and cancel it. A reminder that initial approvals aren't a guarantee, and double-checking against underwriting guidelines is key.

Roamly: A Tailored Solution...With a Catch

Next, we tried Roamly, a newer insurer specializing in RVs. They offer customizable policies for full-timers, part-timers, and even those renting their RVs on platforms like Outdoorsy. Their niche focus means they understand van life needs. Roamly partners with established insurers, acting as a specialized broker to provide tailored policies, potentially with competitive rates and features like roadside assistance. Roamly was happy to insure our Metris for a mere $673 annually. But there was a critical catch: their liability coverage was capped at $100,000/$300,000, insufficient for our umbrella insurance policy requirements of $250,000/$500,000.

Why Umbrella Insurance Matters for Van Life

Umbrella insurance acts as a vital safety net. Serious accidents involving RVs can result in huge medical and property damage costs, quickly exceeding regular limits. Umbrella coverage kicks in once your primary policy is exhausted, ensuring you have millions of dollars in extra protection. Due to the Roamly limit issue, we couldn't move forward.

The Stated Value Conundrum

Exhausted from exploring traditional RV insurance options, we turned to insurers offering "stated value" policies. This coverage option sets an agreed-upon value for your rig upfront, guaranteeing that payout in the case of a total loss and avoiding depreciation battles with the insurer.

While State Farm and our homeowners insurer Mercury provided this option, their premiums were astronomical – around $5,000 per year. Providing the detailed receipts required was also extremely time-consuming.

Our U-Turn: Back to Basics (With Some Extra Tips)

After extensive deliberation, we decided to take a calculated risk. With safe driving records and careful assessment, we chose a standard car insurance policy for our underlying van (i.e. the car itself, without the upgrades). USAA wrote us an auto policy covering the base van for a fair $1,281 per year, accepting that if the upgrades were damaged, we'd bear the cost ourselves.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind:

• Start early: Don't wait until the last minute - insurance can take time to obtain.
• Shop around: Get quotes from multiple insurers, traditional and RV-focused.
• Be meticulous: Document upgrades with photos and receipts, simplifying claims processes, especially when dealing with stated value policies.
• Consider coverage: Decide whether personal effects coverage is right for you.
• Understand limitations: Know what your policy covers and what it doesn't.

We hope this information helps as you think about building out and/or insuring your campervan. To recap, we started out with auto insurance but realized that regardless of provider, it wouldn’t cover any of our conversion upgrades. We then tried RV insurance, only to find that our campervan didn’t qualify since some of our campervan upgrades are modular and not built-in (i.e. our sink, toilet, and cooking system are all removable). Next up, we worked with a broker to find an insurer who would write us a stated value policy but those policies were very expensive. In the end, after talking to seven different insurers and weighing our options, we decided to go back to insuring just the base vehicle through a standard auto policy. This was done with the understanding that we would need to pay for the repair of our upgrades should they become damaged.

Hopefully our research and experiences make the process of insuring your campervan easier and less stressful for you. We’re happy to answer questions and would love to hear how you’ve gone about insuring your campervan!

We are here to make it easier for folks to enjoy immersive nature experiences - check out our other blog posts, resources, and custom trip planning services, all designed to help you plan your next adventure.